Handfuls of Doxology

  In 1788 a Scottsman by the name of Robert Burns penned the words to a simple poem after a night out with an old friend. Burns scribbled the brief but sincere words down in response to his own questions and thoughts. I've often wondered if Robert Burns ever dreamed that 232 years after he wrote “Auld Lang Syne” people all over the world would sing, slur, mime, and mumble through his heartfelt lyrics. We all know the tune even if we don’t know all of the lyrics. Sidenote; you can brag at this year’s New Year celebration that you in fact dabble in 18th Century Traditional Folk Melodies. Now, back to the lyrics that no one really seems to know. Robert Burns’ original lyrics have been changed and translated several times from his original poem, but the idea and sentiment remain the same. The Scots title, "Ald Lang Syne", can be translated in English to “old long since” or even “long, long ago”. In Burns’ original poem, it loosely translates “for the sake of old times”